United
by Professor of Gallifrey
Summary: The Temujai have waged war on the world. In one final effort to stop them, Duncan takes the last risk anyone expected him to, reaching out to other countries, and even some old enemies, to band together and stop them. But this decision will come with a price, and Halt is furious that Duncan decided to pay it. Adult themes, nothing graphic. Full warning inside. OCs and slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

United

Chapter One

**Professor: Hi everyone! Thank you for checking out my new story! This isn't my first time writing for Ranger's Apprentice, but this is the first story that I have posted online. I've had this idea for a while now and just had to start writing it down.**

**So, I just wanted to say a few things first.**

**First, WARNING! This story will contain scenes of violence, anxiety, abuse, some racism, depression, rape, and other adult content. There is nothing graphic, detailed, or explicit, but it does deal with these topics. More warnings will be given for future chapters as needed.**

**Second, Flanagan's world is based off of ours. As such, I used inspiration from ours to help with the world building for this story, such as with names and customs/traditions. If I have gotten something wrong, then I apologize. I get all my information off of the internet when it comes to these things. Please point it out so I can fix it. I love constructive criticism.**

**Third, this is a slight AU of Ranger's Apprentice. I am changing the timeline/some of the events of the books to fit with this story. It will be explained in more detail as the story progresses.**

**Fourth, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.**

**Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

"Alright, are you sure you have everything?" Malcolm asked, checking over the girl's things one last time, "Your books, herbs, supplies, all of it? I don't want to walk into your old room and find a slew of items you've left behind."

Aranel giggled, "For the twelfth time, yes. I've double checked everything."

"Good, because I'm not going to have time to send anything to you if you forgot it. Now that everyone knows I'm here, I'm busier than ever." he huffed, continuing to check her bags despite the reassurance.

Aranel smiled before pulling the older man away from her things and into a hug, "I'll miss you too."

Malcolm stiffened at the sudden affection, but quickly returned it, "I can't believe it's been three years already."

"Me either," she murmured, "Time flies."

Malcolm nodded, pulling away and straightening his shoulders, "Ok, now off with you, before I start crying."

Aranel giggled again before reaching for her bags, "Gilan should have most of my things on the pack pony by now. All I've got left is here."

"Hmm…" was his response, watching as she swung a second bag over her shoulder.

A moment later had him lifting some of her bags and following her out the door. They were met by the sight of Gilan strapping another bag down on the pack pony and Will off to the side, playing fetch with Shadow and Trobar.

Malcolm shook his head in mock annoyance, "With how he acts everytime he comes here, you'd think that he only cares about seeing that dog."

"Will always did have a soft spot for animals." she said, smiling at the sight.

"That he does."

The boy in question chose that moment to look up, breaking into a grin when he saw them.

"Almost ready?!" he called.

"Just these and two more bags!" she yelled back, gesturing to the house as she did so.

"Got it!" Will nodded a quick goodbye to Trobar before jogging towards the house.

As he did that, they made their way to Gilan, Malcolm handing his bags to the Ranger so he could tie them down while Aranel did the same with hers.

Will was there a moment later, tying the last two of them on.

Far sooner than she thought, Aranel was being surrounded for one final goodbye. It all seemed to pass by in a blur and before she knew it, she was pulling away from Trobar's hug and turning to Malcolm again.

"Now, I expect you to keep up your research. That encyclopedia isn't going to write itself." he was saying, "And remember, every herb always has another use. Don't be afraid to experiment."

She nodded, "Yes sir."

"Just because I'm not going to be looking over your shoulder anymore doesn't mean you can let your technique lapse either. Surgery requires a very steady hand."

"Of course."

"And when drying your herbs, remember-"

"I think she's got it." Gilan interrupted, smiling at the older man, "If she can't remember how to dry herbs after three years with you, then she's fairly hopeless."

Malcolm huffed, raising an eyebrow at Aranel, "They certainly have high opinions of healers, now don't they?"

"The highest." Will smirked, "After all, where would we be without someone experimenting with herbs?"

"I think these two have spent far too much time around your father."

Aranel glanced away shyly, "I promise, they do actually respect healers. Especially you."

"I know, but I can't let them visit without giving them a hard time," he smiled at her.

She returned the smile, pulling him in for one last hug, "Don't forget to have your tea every night. You hurt too much in the morning without it."

"Doctor's orders?"

"Doctor's orders." she laughed.

"Goodbye Nellie." he whispered.

"Goodbye Malcolm." she whispered back, holding him tighter for a split second, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." he pulled away, waving away her thanks.

She turned around, accepting Gilan's help to mount the horse. It seemed like they were waving goodbye and making their way through Grimsdell Forest within seconds.

They rode in silence for a while, in single file as the forest was so densely packed.

"You ok Nel?" Will asked from behind her, leading the pack pony.

"Little sad." she said truthfully, "I spent the last three years training with Malcolm. I...I feel like he's family at this point."

"Trust me, he feels the same way." Gilan said, "Why else would he have given you the same reminders four times?"

"He wasn't that bad!" Will said, quick to jump to the healer's defense.

"Relax, I'm only joking." Gilan tossed a smile over his shoulder at them, "But he does feel the same way Nellie. I'm sure watching you leave was like saying goodbye to his only granddaughter."

Nel smiled to herself, blushing slightly, "So, um, why are we not headed towards Redmont?"

The other two, used to Nellie's shyness, didn't comment on the change of subject.

"Duncan requested his top advisors to return to the castle, along with a few extra Rangers for protection."

"Is-Is something going on?" she looked back and forth between her two traveling companions.

There was a tense silence as they rode through the forest. Finally, when they were near the edge of the trees, Gilan sighed.

"I don't know how much news you got while hiding deep in the Grimsdell, but the war isn't going well. The Temujai have conquered Teutlandt, with their sights set on Gallica next. Crowley thinks we have maybe a year before they march on Toscana, if we're lucky."

"I...I hadn't realized," she whispered, "Last I heard the Temujai had just gotten control of Alpina and Magyara."

"That was six months ago." Will said softly, urging Tug forward to ride next to her as they cleared the forest.

"They conquered Teutlandt so soon after all that?!" she couldn't hide any of the shock in her voice, "How is that possible?"

"We aren't a hundred percent certain, but we've got a pretty decent theory." Gilan said, "A few refugees got word to us. They reported seeing Alpinians and Magyarans fighting alongside the Temujai."

"W-What?"

"Not by choice." Will put in quickly, "More like slaves. The Temujai are forcing the soldiers of the countries they invade to fight their battles for them."

"Sadly, it's smart and it's working," Gilan was looking at his reigns intently as he said this, eyebrows furrowed, "The Temujai already have the largest army the world has ever seen. Using this method, the Sha'shan is losing less and less of his own people than ever before."

"Sorry Nellie," Will leaned over, squeezing her hand lightly, "Didn't mean to give you such bad news when we picked you up."

Nel brushed off his concern, "It's ok. Besides, Dad never believed in holding information back from those who needed it. I don't want to show up to Castle Araluen and not know the state the world is in."

"Well, good news then." Gilan looked up, smiling at her, "You'll be fully informed. Plus, Halt is already at the Castle."

"Really?" she perked up, "He's meeting us there?"

"Yep." Will nodded, "Honestly, he would've come to get you himself, but the king couldn't spare him from the preparations."

"The...preparations?"

The two men exchanged a glance.

"That sort of ties into what we think the Temujai are doing next," Gilan explained, "Obviously their goal is to take over as much land as they can. But some countries are guarded by the sea, right?"

"Right," she said hesitantly, "Like Araluen and Sonderland."

"Exactly." Will said, "But the Temujai don't know anything about sailing. They're cavalry and archers."

"But, using their new strategy, they could go after Skandia." Gilan put in.

"And then nothing could stop them." Aranel finished, "That's horrible."

The other two voiced their agreement.

"So what is His Majesty's plan? What is he preparing for?" she asked.

"The only hope of stopping the Temujai is to get a force large enough to rival theirs and then take back the countries one by one."

"Where could we find an army that big?" she looked back and forth between the two Rangers.

"We make one," Gilan continued, "That's what Duncan's preparing for. He's contacted four other countries and invited them to peace talks in the hopes of creating a treaty so that they can all fight the Temujai together, as allies."

"That's brilliant!" Nel exclaimed, "Who did he contact?"

"Anyone who could stand a chance against the Temujai." Will said, "Toscana. Nihon-Ja. Skandia. And Arrida."

Nel pulled up on her reigns, stopping her horse and staring at them in shock, "W-Who?"

Gilan sighed, "I know Nellie, I agree."

"But-But the Skandians! And-And Arridi!"

"We know." Gilan repeated, urging his horse forward so that he could take her hand, "They aren't my first choices either. Skandians have almost no skill for diplomacy and the Arridi...well that situation speaks for itself. But this alliance needs both of them to have any hope of succeeding."

"T-There has to be another way." she stammered, unknowingly pulling her hand away from Gilan's so that she could rub her thumb over her palm, a nervous habit from childhood that she had never broken, "Th-This is too dangerous!"

"We're at war Nellie-girl," Gilan said softly, "We have to take some risks. Every country is already sending officials and delegates."

"B-But-"

"Hey, it's like your dad says," Will whispered, "There are always risks in battle. The trick is to take the right ones."

"And how does the King know this is the right one?" she asked.

"He doesn't. He's waiting until the end and then seeing if he's won." they chorused at her, smirked.

Nel felt the tension leave her shoulders and she couldn't help but give a resigned sigh, "You Rangers, do you only know the same five sayings?"

Gilan scoffed, pretending to be insulted, "Untrue. We have seven actually. The entire Corps gets together once a year to chant them non-stop."

Will groaned, "Please don't lump me in with him. I'm still only an apprentice."

"Only for another three months." Nel said, looking at him proudly.

Will turned away, embarrassed at the praise.

Gilan laughed, Nel joining in a moment later, before the three of them continued their journey.

* * *

The sun had risen three hours ago, shining brightly over the Castle and its town. Halt breathed in the deep morning air. He glanced out the window again, scanning the landscape for any sight of Gilan, Will, or Nel.

Will had left almost two weeks ago to fetch Gilan, per Duncan's orders. He had offered to pick up Nellie along the way as it would only be a few days out of his way. Since Halt couldn't fetch his daughter himself, something that he had given Duncan plenty of grief about, he had jumped at the chance of his apprentice doing so. With both Will and Gilan, he knew that she would arrive safely. As always in times of war, the amount of bandits and the crime rate had increased quickly. With so many people being called to Castle Araluen, the number was going to go up even more.

Even with any sort of delays, the three of them should be arriving some time today.

"Haven't you ever heard that a watched pot never boils?" a voice spoke up behind him. Even without seeing him, Halt could hear the smirk in his Commandant's voice.

He turned around, coming face to face with Crowley. Halt wasn't at all surprised that he had snuck up on him. Crowley was the best there was at silent movement.

"Give them some time Halt, they'll be here soon."

"What makes you think I'm watching for them?" Halt asked gruffly, turning back to the window.

"It's your apprentice, your former apprentice, and your daughter," Crowley said, coming to lean against the other side of the window, "Not to mention you haven't seen Nellie in over a year. Sorry, but you aren't as mysterious as you'd hoped to be."

Halt grunted, sending him a sideways look.

Crowley just shrugged, "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you when you finally realize that everyone can read you like a book."

"They cannot."

"They can actually," Crowley smirked again, "Why do you think Duncan isn't letting you help with the peace talks themselves? Only with the preparations and as an advisor?"

"I thought it was because I was liable to punch the first idiot to open his mouth?"

"That too. But knowing you, you'd find a reason to punch everyone within thirty minutes."

Halt began smirking as well.

"That isn't something to be proud of." Crowley sighed.

"You can't blame me for the delegates' stupidity."

"Moving on," Crowley said, knowing better than to get into that subject with Halt, "Duncan's requested your help. He wants you to double check the maps, focusing on the Eastern Steppes, seeing as how you're more well traveled than most of this Castle put together."

"Are we forgetting your little trip to Sonderland?" Halt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I did say 'most', but yes we are." Crowley glared at him, "We don't mention _anything_ about that trip."

Halt shrugged, "I don't see why you're so embarrassed. Honestly, anyone could've boarded the wrong boat and then-"

"Never. Happened." Crowley said through gritted teeth.

The Ranger couldn't stop himself from smiling, "Course not."

"Shut up." Crowley huffed.

The two of them turned back to the window, falling into a companionable silence.

Eventually the red-headed Ranger broke it, "Do you think he's making the right choice?"

"Duncan?" Halt sighed, "I think he's making the smart choice. But if we aren't careful, this could do nothing but hurt Araluen in the future."

"Could end up costing us the war." Crowley agreed.

"With Horace's connections to Nihon-Ja, I don't see any issues there." Halt said, "And we've always been on good terms with Toscana."

"It's Skandia and Arrida that are the wild cards."

Halt nodded, "Allying ourselves with either is a major risk. With both of them? I think we'll be lucky to make it out of the peace talks without starting another war, let alone with a treaty."

"The Skandians are raiders. They allied themselves with Morgarath five years ago. As long as there is some sort of profit to be found, they'll be there." Crowley said thoughtfully.

"But, they'll only stay as long as there's profit. When that's gone, they will be too." Halt pointed out.

Crowley pressed his lips into a thin line, thinking it all over before responding, "At least they're straightforward. We shouldn't have to worry too much as long as we keep everyone in check. After all, they're a race of fighters, not politicians."

"And the Arridi?"

He shrugged, "Depends on if they've forgiven us. The fact that they're willing to talk to us for the first time in sixteen years is a good sign."

"But it also means that all our information about them is sixteen years out of date," Halt said, "Considering that we almost ended up in a war with them, most Araluens are terrified simply hearing the word 'Arrida', and that they did vow vengeance upon our entire country-"

"And they have the best trained cavalry in the world," Crowley cut him off, "The Temujai are good, but they're mostly archers. They win battles through numbers, overwhelming odds. The Arridi have more skill and training fighting on horseback. We need them to have any real chance against the Temujai."

"Provided they don't betray us first." Halt huffed.

"Trust me, they're thinking the exact same thing about us." Crowley muttered, "You do realize that Duncan's already thought over all of this, right?"

"Never hurts to double check." was Halt's reply.

"Think we can do it?" Crowley asked, "Drive the Temujai back? Save the countries they've invaded?"

Halt was silent for a long moment, the two of them watching the people around the town going about their business.

"I think it should be done. It needs to be done. But, it's ambitious. It's difficult. And it's a long shot. The best we can hope for is strengthening our own borders, maybe helping a few other countries. But we can't help everyone."

Crowley furrowed his eyebrows, "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Nel says that." Halt explained, "She says that is the first thing you learn as a healer. As much as you may want to, you won't be able to help everyone. Sometimes, the wound is just too severe."

"Smart girl."

"Very." Halt said proudly.

"Must get it from her mother."

Halt glared at him quickly before marching off down the hall.

Crowley laughed, "Wait! Halt! You need to get to Duncan!"

"Duncan can wait!"

"He's the king!"

"And my daughter just rode up to the Castle! He can, _and will_, wait!"

Crowley looked out the window in confusion. Sure enough, Nellie was there, along with Gilan and Will, dismounting at the front gate. Crowley's confusion turned into a smile.

"Duncan can wait," he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

Nel had never seen the Castle so busy. There were people everywhere, each focusing on their own important tasks. Servants rushed around preparing guest rooms and carrying food. Knights practiced, moving through their drills with a very precise vigor. A few Rangers walked the halls, strengthening defenses and aiding the Battlemaster.

"All this...for peace talks?"

"All this in case they go poorly." Gilan explained, dismounting.

Nel and Will followed suit as he kept talking.

"It's pretty standard practice to have most of your soldiers around when inviting leaders of a foreign country into your home. Especially if you don't get along with them."

"I know that," Nel said, looking around again, "But won't a show of force simply antagonize them?"

"They'll be expecting it." he reassured her.

A servant came up, offering to take their horses. The Rangers declined, preferring to look after their own horses. Nel typically did the same, although she did accept the help in carrying her bags.

The three of them were about to make their way to the stables when they saw Halt leave the Castle, Crowley not far behind.

A grin spread across Nel's face, a matching one appearing on Halt's. She rushed forward as fast as she could, meeting him halfway across the courtyard, wrapping her arms around him. Halt held her back just as tightly.

The three other Rangers held back, letting the father and daughter have their reunion.

Nel clung to her father tightly, breathing in his familiar scent of pine trees, coffee, and the wood glue that he used for his bows and arrows. She had always teased him about his scent, ever since she was little, how he had always smelled like glue, even if he hadn't made a bow or arrow in weeks. Never had she thought she'd miss it.

Halt, for his part, was pulling back from the hug, examining her. She looked almost exactly the same as the last time he'd seen her over a year and a half ago, but the sight of her seemed so foreign now that she almost looked like a stranger. A little bit taller than him, with sparkling blue eyes and a wide smile. Her black hair was longer than before, hitting her waist even though it was held back in a braid.

"You look like your mother," he said softly.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, "So you always say."

Halt didn't respond, just pulled her back in for another hug.

After a moment, Crowley cleared his throat.

Nel looked up from her father's embrace and saw him. Pulling away from Halt, she went to the Ranger Commandant.

"Morning Uncle Crowley." she said, hugging him as well.

Crowley returned the hug, only pretending to grumble at her name for him.

"Good to see you too Nellie-girl."

Halt turned to the younger Rangers, "Welcome back."

"What? No hug for us?" Gilan joked, raising an eyebrow and holding out his arms playfully.

Halt groaned, "And you wonder why we only see each other once a year."

Will laughed and Halt turned his gaze to his apprentice, "Why don't you hug him? Then you two can take care of the horses and we can get inside."

Will and Gilan exchanged a glance, rolling their eyes with a smirk, but did as they were asked. Halt turned his attention back to his daughter, where she and Crowley were discussing her recent apprenticeship.

"It was amazing Uncle Crowley! Malcolm has designed a new technique for sutures and we spent at least a month experimenting with different materials and stitches for it, along with even changing the needle type. And, depending on where the wound is, you can use different styles of sutures to promote healing in that area. For example, a wound on the leg as opposed to one of the face. Of course, we looked at more than just that. Most of our time was spent studying herbs to see what else they could be used for and studying wounds and the human body itself. The more we know about that, the better we can heal it. There was-"

"She just doesn't stop, does she?" Crowley looked at Halt in astonishment, "Is this what you've been like since you left Norgate?" he asked her.

"Oh, um," Nel immediately began to blush, looking away with a mix of shyness and guilt, "S-Sorry. I just, um, I guess I got a bit carried away. I just, I-I was very excited."

Crowley smiled gently putting an arm around her shoulders, "And I'm glad you are. I'm only teasing Nellie."

Nel nodded shyly, still blushing.

"Don't know why you seemed surprised," Halt huffed, "Medicine happens to be her favorite subject. Always has been."

Crowley ignored him, "Come on Nellie. I'll walk you to your room and you can finish telling me about all the experiments you and Malcolm did. And then your dad can get back to the King."

"He can wait." Halt said.

"He needs your help."

"With a _map. _It'll be fine."

Crowley sighed and was about to respond when someone else beat him to it.

"He's right Crowley, for once. I can be patient."

The three of them looked up to see Duncan approaching them. Crowley and Halt didn't seem surprised at the sight, then again, they were Rangers, but Nel's eyes widened and she hurried herself into a slight curtsey.

Duncan waved the formality aside, "We won't need the map for a while yet. I just wanted to get a headstart. There are plenty of other preparations to focus on. The delegation from Toscana will be here by the end of the week."

"So soon?" Crowley asked, "I thought the Skandians were set to arrive first?"

Duncan sighed, "They were, but I just got a report that the Toscans were spotted off the coast this morning. I've already sent a carrier pigeon back to have the Baron in that fief escort them here."

"By the time they get here, the Skandians should reach Araluen as well," Halt said.

"And the Arridi and Nihon-Ja just a few days after." the King nodded, "Hopefully the peace talks don't take too long, but still, we'll all be here for weeks. Lady Pauline and Anthony have already drafted several possibilities and proposals."

"We knew what we were getting into." Crowley said, looking resigned.

"I know," Duncan sighed again, "I know. Anyway, this may be our last chance for a peaceful moment for a while. I suggest we enjoy it."

They nodded their agreement.

Duncan smiled at Nel, "It's good to see you again Aranel."

"You as well, your majesty." she said, "But you can-you can just call me Nel."

"I'll do that if you stop being so formal around me." Duncan gently teased her, a spark of mischief in his eyes.

Nel could only smile sheepishly.

Duncan laughed, "You know, I still have to wonder how someone like Halt raised someone as polite as you."

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?" Halt asked, looking insulted.

Duncan smiled playfully at his old friend, "Well, truthfully, we've all been wondering."

"It's a mystery unto itself," Crowley agreed, a smile on his own face.

Halt simply rolled his eyes, causing Nel to giggle.

"I've got it!" Crowley burst out, "Halt didn't raise Nellie, she simply raised herself!"

"That would make the most sense."

Halt huffed before grabbing his daughter's shoulders and leading her away, mumbling under his breath. Nel tossed a hurried wave over her shoulder as they went up the steps into the Castle.

Duncan chuckled, waving goodbye.

"That is a good question," Crowley murmured, "How did Halt raise someone like that? At first glance, any child of Halt's should be as troublesome as him."

"Halt's always let Nel be as free as she wanted; some people are just naturally introverted. Combine the two, and that's how Nellie became Nellie."

"Still...you'd think Halt would've tried to do, well, _anything _to encourage her to be more confident."

He shrugged, "I can't really see Halt trying to force her to be someone she's not."

"Well, that's better than my original idea."

"Which was?" he asked.

"One of the many mysteries surrounding Halt that we simply won't understand." Crowley smirked.

The two exchanged a look before they began laughing again.

* * *

The door shut with a satisfying '_THUNK' _behind them, cutting off the chatter of the servants outside and leaving them in silence.

Nel looked around the room quickly. It was large, with a bed, dresser, shelves, desk, and a table and chairs off to the side. More extravagant than she was used to, but it seemed fairly simple for a guest room in the Castle. At the foot of her bed were all of her bags, waiting to be unpacked. She breathed a sigh of relief that no one had tried to do so. She had a very specific way of organizing her books and supplies.

Sparing a glance at her father who was glaring at the wall, probably still thinking over the conversation with his Commandant and King, Nel moved forward, reaching for the nearest bag. Her movement seemed to bring her father back to reality. Halt watched for a moment as she began putting her books on the shelves before joining her, although he only put away her clothes, knowing better than to touch anything else. They worked together in silence for a few moments before she spoke up.

"How long are we staying here?"

"The negotiations will take a few weeks at the very least," he said, "After that, it depends on our next step against the Temujai. I might have to go back with one of our new allies, help in the war plans. But it's safe to say, at least the next two months."

"Will said you've already been here three." was her quiet response.

"Yes, I have," he sighed, "Most of Duncan's advisors have. Pauline's been here since Alpina fell."

"He's been thinking of an alliance since then?"

"Partially. Smaller alliances mostly, with Hibernia and Celtica. When Hibernia declined, for the stupid reason of they'd rather bargain with the Temujai, he started thinking bigger."

Halt took a breath after he hung up another dress. Nel finished her books and moved on to the packets of herbs.

"You don't have to stay. I can have Will take you to Redmont. Arald would give you a suite, and a position as healer."

Nel paused in her movements, "You want me to leave?"

Halt shook his head, "No, I want you to be safe. With everything that's going on, Castle Araluen might be the most dangerous place to be."

Nel was silent for a long moment, Halt watching as she put away the final herbs on the top shelf of her desk.

"I...I just three years training with the best healer in Araluen. I-I should be here, so I can help."

Halt walked forward, laying his hand on her shoulder, "Nellie, you-"

"I want to help my country." she said quickly, cutting him off, "I-I-I can't fight, I don't know the first thing about strategy, but-but this is something I can do. W-With what I learned from Malcolm, I'd be more of a help here. In case anyone needs me."

She stared at him for a long moment before her shyness won out and she glanced away, rubbing her palm.

Halt sighed again, "Well, if you're going to be so stubborn about it."

Nel looked back up at him, a hopeful expression on her face. In moments she had wrapped her arms around Halt again, mumbling 'thank you' over and over.

The tender moment was interrupted by an incessant knocking on the door.

Halt grudgingly pulled away and answered it.

"Halt! I heard she was here! Is she?!" The questions started as soon as he opened the door, but they didn't wait for him to answer. The speaker barreled past him, rushing right towards Nel as soon as they saw her.

"Nellie!" Cassandra cried, bringing the girl into a tight hug, "I'm so happy to see you!"

Nel's face stretched into a wide smile and she quickly returned the hug, "I'm glad to see you too."

"How was your trip?" Cassandra asked, pulling away but still looking at her friend eagerly, "How did your studies go?"

"Very well. I learned a lot. Malcolm's a wonderful teacher."

Halt looked at the two girls, shaking his head. Of all the people in the world, the last two he expected to be good friends were his daughter and the princess. The two were practically polar opposites. But, the universe has seen fit to prove him wrong.

Cassandra brought Nel out of her shell just a bit while Nel helped her stay more grounded, less impulsive. The two had met during Morgarath's final invasion attempt five years ago. Cassandra, traveling under the name Evanlyn then, had helped Will burn down Morgarath's bridge. They had gotten captured in doing so, but Halt had been able to reach them before the Skandians had made off with them. When everyone had made it back to Castle Araluen, the two girls had bonded rather quickly. Two years later, when Halt and Will went to handle rumors of a sorcerer in Norgate, Nel had stayed at the Castle, studying under the healer there, which only let the two girls grow closer. When Halt came back with an offer for her to study under Malcolm, Nel and Cassandra had tried to keep in touch by mail, but that had slowly come to an end after about a year.

It was obvious how they had missed each other though.

"How has life here been?" Nel was asking, bringing Halt out of his thoughts.

"As you might expect with a war going on." Cassandra waved her questioning look away, "I'm sure you've heard all about that by now."

"Just a bit," she said sheepishly.

Cassandra made her way over to the bed, practically collapsing on top of it, "Dad's put me in charge of the guest rooms for the delegations, that way he can focus on the proposals for the treaty. It's surprisingly more difficult than it seems."

"How so?" Nel asked, watching out of the corner of her eye as Halt stuck his head out of the room, asking a nearby servant for coffee.

"As in, I can't just say 'dust them' and be done with it. Each room has to be thoroughly cleaned and redecorated as best we can for each delegation."

"Redecorated?"

The blonde girl nodded, "Some of the changes are simple. Like swapping out our mattresses for larger ones so that a Skandian can fit in them. But others are more difficult. Apparently someone put the national 'death flower' of Toscana in all of their rooms, so it looks like we are inviting them to their funerals. We also have to have a bunch of tiny, ceramic frogs ready for the delegates from Nihon-Ja. Horace says that giving them out on the last day means you wish for them to return."

"How does Horace know…?" Nel's question trailed off as she looked between the other two, confused.

"Dad sent him to Nihon-Ja while you were with Malcolm." she explained, "He actually became quite close to the Emperor there. Saved his life too. That's why Dad called him back here for the peace talks. He's typically out training with the knights."

Nel nodded, understanding, "That makes sense."

"Exactly. It's been a real help getting ready for their arrival. Especially for all the scrambling around we have to do for the Arridi delegation. It's been almost 20 years since we hosted them. I'd hate for a small detail of their room to be messed up and it be my fault."

"You're doing fine." Halt interjected, "Everyone knows they're coming to Araluen. They aren't expecting you to recreate their homes."

Nel nodded her agreement, smiling encouragingly.

Cassandra sighed, "Wish I had a Ranger's confidence."

"We just act confident. Then, everyone simply sees what they expect to see."

The princess chuckled at that, right before someone knocked on the door again. This time when Halt opened it, Gilan and Will stood there with a pot of coffee.

"Ran into a servant who was scared out of their wits." Gilan said, striding into the room without an invitation, "Said something about an eight-foot tall monster that threatened them if they didn't bring coffee right away?"

"Oh, very funny." Halt grumbled, "You're a regular comedian."

Will laughed, "Sorry Halt."

Gilan began pouring the coffee, making sure Halt got the first cup with a sly grin. Halt accepted it, but ignored the baiting look.

"Did we interrupt anything?" Will asked.

"Only a lesson in feigning confidence." Cassandra smirked, accepting her own cup.

Will looked between her, Halt, and Nel before figuring that he probably didn't want to know, "I heard that the Toscans are going to be here soon."

Halt and Cassandra nodded at the same time.

"Don't know why they're coming early." Cassandra said, "But the sooner everyone arrives, the sooner we can get everything over with."

"They probably have news," Gilan suggested, "They're the closest nation to the Temujai right now, and one of their next logical targets."

"Not to mention that soon they'll be surrounded. Gallica is the only neighbor they have now and they won't last long. They don't exactly have the strongest army." Will said sadly.

"Chances are they've seen the Temujai on the move and wanted to warn us sooner rather than later." Halt agreed.

They all fell silent, thinking over the situation.

Nel cleared her throat and they all turned towards her expectantly. She blushed at the sudden attention, finding her coffee cup to be very interesting and looking at it the entire time she spoke, "Um, Will, are you-I mean, you're becoming a full-fledged Ranger in a few months. A-Are you excited?"

Will smiled at her, grateful for a more cheerful topic, "Sort of? I'm excited, but also fairly nervous."

"Nervous?" Cassandra scoffed, "You're basically a Ranger already. What's there to be nervous about?"

"An entire fief is trusting me to be their Ranger! How else am I supposed to feel?!"

Halt scoffed, "Hopefully ready. Otherwise I didn't train you properly."

"It's not that I don't feel ready." Will tried to backtrack, not wanting to insult his mentor, "It's more, what do I do if I make a mistake?"

Gilan laughed, "A mistake? Will, we all make mistakes! Even the old grouch over here!"

He pointed to Halt who simply huffed and said, "My first mistake was letting Gilan become my apprentice."

Gilan rolled his eyes, ignoring the barb, "Look, the trick is to learn from it. To never make the same mistake twice."

"Which I obviously didn't do. I got roped into another apprenticeship with an annoying boy who never stopped asking questions." Halt said, but he had a smile on his face when Will looked over at him.

"You'll do fine." he told him, "You just need to believe it. The test is a courtesy at this point. You are ready. You're a Ranger."

A matching grin spread across Will's face, "Thanks Halt."

"So," Cassandra piped up, "About those confidence-faking-lessons…"

The others just laughed at her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

As Duncan had said, the Toscana delegation arrived by the end of the week. And, as the Rangers had said, they brought news of the Temujai. The riders were scouting around the Gallican border and building outposts. It looked like they were moving into Gallica a few months earlier than expected.

The Toscana delegation consisted of six soldiers, two couriers, four servants, and three of the actual Senate members.

Nel and Cassandra watched from the window as the group was greeted and led into the castle.

"That's Fausto, head of the Senate," Cassandra said, pointing to the man in the middle of the group talking with the king, "He's a popular man in Toscana, but Dad says he's easily swayed. He has good intentions, but struggles to follow them through."

"Have you met him before?"

"Only once, years ago." Cassandra stopped to think, mulling it all over in her mind, "I must've been maybe seven years old? It was a long time ago."

The princess went back to looking out the window, "The short man next to him is Ilario, the longest serving Senator in Toscana. Very traditional, but has always voted in favor of allying themselves with other countries."

"Have you, I mean, how do you know all this?" Nel asked her.

"Dad's had me studying for weeks. He wants me to sit in on the negotiations, learn how they work and such. Plus, if this goes well and we do get a treaty, it'll need to be renegotiated every five or ten years. When I'm Queen, that'll be my responsibility. This is the best way to learn."

Nel nodded, understanding, before asking another question, "Is every delegation going to be like this?"

She shrugged, "Probably. They'll all bring multiple people to take part in the actual debate and negotiations. Also, multiple soldiers are expected. Entering any other country, even an ally, during a time of war without trusted soldiers nearby wouldn't be the smartest thing to do."

"Of course."

She sighed, "Come on. I'm supposed to meet all of them when Dad brings them into the banquet hall for dinner."

The healer didn't respond, staring intently at the horizon.

"Nellie? You coming?"

"L-Look." Nel raised a shaking hand and pointed just past the village. Cassandra followed her gaze and gasped.

"It can't be! They aren't supposed to be here till the morning!"

"B-But they are," Nel stammered out.

"The scouts told us when they were spotted. How did they get here so quickly?" she asked in astonishment.

"T-The ship looks strange," Nel said, studying it as best she could from the window, "Smaller. And it has a triangular sail. M-Maybe it isn't them?"

"I doubt it." she huffed, "The sail is different, but otherwise it's a Skandian ship. Plus, the scouts already told us about the sail."

"They did?"

"Yeah, I forgot to mention it. Come on." Cassandra turned around, hurrying down the first flight of stairs they came to.

"Ah, here she is!" Duncan exclaimed, gesturing to the blonde girl when they finally entered the room, "Gentlemen, my daughter, Cassandra."

The Toscan delegates smiled and greeted her warmly, Fausto placing a gentle kiss on her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." she said before walking to her father. Nel watched as she whispered in his ear as she hugged him.

"I know that look," a voice said right behind her, "What's going on?"

Nel jumped a little, but wasn't surprised to see Gilan over her shoulder. The man could be invisible when he wanted to be.

"The Skandians are here. They just sailed down the river."

He raised an eyebrow, "Well then, we're certainly set to have an exciting dinner, aren't we?"

Off to the side, a scout entered the room, whispered something to Crowley, and then left. The Ranger Commandant exchanged a look with Duncan, who simply nodded his head. Crowley left the room, gesturing for Pauline to accompany him, but waving off Halt's enquiry.

"Um, has there been any personal contact with the Skandians since Morgarath's invasion?" Nel asked Gilan nervously, "Or was it all in, um, written letters and such?"

"Written correspondence only." was Gilan's whispered response, "But according to Will and Cassie, Erak was only trying to keep them from Morgarath."

"I thought he meant to take them to Skandia to sell as slaves?"

Gilan was silent for a moment. Then, "It was never confirmed. But Halt did kill three of his men when he rescued them. Not to mention those who died in Thorntree during the invasion."

Nel gulped anxiously, "Oh. F-Fantastic."

"Relax Nellie," Gilan grabbed her hand comfortingly, "That was all under Ragnak's rule of Skandia. Erak took over three years ago as Oberjarl. He's been shown to be a much better leader than Ragnak."

She gave a shaky nod, thinking over his words, "Wait a second...when did you start calling her Cassie?"

Gilan was silent another minute or so, apparently thinking it over. Then, he shrugged, "Must of picked up on it from Duncan."

Nel narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't push farther. Instead, she turned her attention back to the King who was in the process of informing the Toscans that the Skandians had arrived, the servants already setting extra places at the table for the added guests. She knew it was much longer, but Nel could've sworn that only a few more seconds had passed before Crowley had returned with the Skandians.

Nel didn't recognize any right away. But, from the description her father had given her, the tall, blond man leading the group was Erak. He was massive, and muscular, like most of the Skandians she had seen.

The interesting thing about the Skandian group was that the majority were young, younger than even Will; in their teens. One was a girl, with long black hair tied back. Another was slighter, smaller than the others, yet stood at the front of the group as if he was a leader. A third in the back was massive, towering over anyone else in the room despite his youthful face. There were three other older Skandians, although the most notable feature was that one of them was missing an arm, having a club attached to his arm instead.

"Your majesty, may I present Oberjarl Erak and the Skandian delegation." Crowley said, loudly enough for the entire room to hear, before stepping out of the way.

Nel quickly looked around. None of the Rangers were letting any emotion show. Neither was Duncan, Cassandra, or Pauline. The Skandians stood proudly. The rest of the Araluens were visibly nervous, along with the Toscans. This was the first major contact with the Skandians since their alliance with Morgarath. If this went wrong, they might as well say goodbye for any chance of a treaty.

Duncan smiled, nodding his head slightly "Oberjarl, welcome to Araluen."

A smile broke out on Erak's face, "Now there's something I never thought I'd hear."

"It's something I'm happy to say."

"I believe that." the Skandian chuckled, turning to Cassandra, "Nice to see ya again Princess."

Cassandra smirked, "Yes, you as well. I'm glad we can finally talk under more...pleasant circumstances."

Erak outright laughed at that, "That's certainly a way of putting it!"

"It's not like our previous meeting set very high standards, now did it?"

"No, no it didn't." Erak laughed again.

Duncan smiled, glad that everything had gone well so far. He gestured to the table, "Please, join us. We were about to eat. After that we can get everyone settled into their rooms."

Erak was shaking his head before Duncan had finished talking, "Not yet. First, I'd like to talk to one of your Rangers. The same one I met the last time I was here."

Gilan cursed.

The shock was evident in Duncan's eyes, but he waved Halt forward. The Ranger did as he was asked, stepping up to the massive warrior. Nel began rubbing her palm, fear clutching her heart.

Erak eyed him up and down, "I lost a lot of good men cause of you. Including three of my best shipmates and the son of the last Oberjarl."

"You kidnapped our Princess and my apprentice."

"Rescued."

"Yes, that's why they were in a rowboat when we met, about to sail away from their home."

"Safer than on a horse."

"Depends on how you look at it."

They were silent a moment longer.

"You're shorter than I remember."

"That does tend to happen."

"You get shorter?"

"Your memory fades."

A few of the Skandians let out barks of laughter and the smile reappeared on Erak's face. He stretched out a hand to Halt. The grizzled Ranger returned it, shaking hands firmly. The friendly look on Erak's face dropped quickly, "You harm another one of my people and I swear by Ullr you'll regret it. That clear?"

"Crystal." Halt forced out through gritted teeth.

Erak released the Ranger's hand. As soon as he was able, Halt began massaging it, holding back exclamations of pain. There were a few more snickers from the younger Skandians.

Nel let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness." Gilan breathed out, "He kept his mouth shut."

"_That's_ what you were worried about?"

"Of course!" he said as loudly as he could without drawing attention, "It's not like they could seriously hurt him, not in the middle of Araluen surrounded by Duncan's personal guard and half a dozen Rangers. But if he had made any more comments he might've cost us the alliance!"

"Fair point," she conceded, turning her attention back to Erak who was introducing who he'd brought, although her eyebrows were still furrowed with worry.

"This is my hilfman, Borsa. My first mate, Svengal. This is Thorn. And this is Hal, skirl of the Heron and leader of the Heron brotherband."

Duncan greeted each person as they were introduced, but stopped at Hal, "I've heard of you. You're the one who designed a whole new ship, aren't you?"

"Not quite King, just a new sail and rigging." he explained, "It allows us to sail into the wind and is much faster than a normal square sail."

"Ingenious." one of the Toscans, Ilario, said, "And so young! How'd you do it?"

Hal shrugged, "Simply watched how the birds flew. Herons, to be more specific. Modeled it after their wings."

"Amazing!"

"Hal's one of the best inventors you could ever meet." another of the Herons spoke up, swinging an arm across Hal's shoulders, "When he double checks all the details that is."

"One time." Hal huffed under his breath.

"More like one hundred." Thorn said, nudging him playfully.

Duncan raised an eyebrow, "I take it there's a story there?"

"Plenty. And we'll be glad to tell them all over dinner." the young Skandian said, grinning proudly.

"Oh no we won't." Hal said warningly, but was promptly ignored by the laughter from the rest of his crew.

Duncan chuckled before calling for the food to be brought in and inviting them all to be seated. Nel ended up sitting between her father and Gilan, across from one of the Heron crew. With a smile, he introduced himself as Edvin and then fell into an easy conversation with Gilan.

Nel glanced at her dad out of the corner of her eye. His hand seemed to be doing ok now. She'd double check later when they were alone.

Farther along, Hal was detailing all the different improvements that he had made to his ship to a very interested looking Will.

Erak was explaining to Duncan that Temujai scouts had been spotted along the Skandian border, prompting their early arrival in the fastest wolfship they had. Crowley reasoned that they were simply preparing for a future invasion after Toscana, but nothing in the immediate future.

She could tell that the subject of the treaty was something everyone was dying to talk about, but seemed to be avoiding. There was a tense atmosphere throughout the room.

"Nel?" Gilan laid a hand on her arm, bringing her back to reality.

"Y-Yes?" she said, seeing that both him and Edvin were looking at her expectantly.

"He was asking you about your work." Gilan explained.

Edvin nodded, "You're a healer?"

"Oh, um, yes, I am." she said shyly, "I just got back from training with our country's foremost healer."

"That's amazing!" he responded enthusiastically, "I'm the Heron's healer, but most of what I know is self-taught or from a few books that we have."

"Perhaps Nellie could teach you a little bit while you're here," Gilan suggested.

Edvin looked at her hopefully, "Would you mind?"

"O-Of course not. I've just, well, I've never taught anyone before…" she trailed off.

"That's ok," he shrugged, "I haven't taken very many classes before. But I do want to learn."

Nel smiled at him, "Th-That's good. Um, how did you end up as the crew's healer?"

"Just kind of happened that way during Brotherband training." he told her, "None of the others really had an interest in it to be honest."

"But healing is such an important skill, for everyone."

He finished chewing some of his food before responding, "I know. But we've all got these roles and skill sets on the ship, ya know? I'm the healer and everyone trusts me to do it. I'm also the cook. Hal's the skirl. Thorn's the Battle Leader. Ulf and Wulf trim the sheets. It works."

"That must be...difficult."

"Sometimes," he said, staring into his plate thoughtfully, "There are definitely times that I wish someone else would be the healer. The crew puts too much trust in me knowing how to fix things. But most of what I'm doing is guesswork. There was this time that Ingvar got really sick. A bad fever. All I had was a vague hunch from a comment in a book about what to do. We were just lucky it worked."

"That's why you want to learn more, isn't it?" her voice was soft as she asked him, looking at the young man patiently.

He nodded.

Nobody said anything for a few moments, choosing to eat in silence.

Eventually Nel cleared her throat quietly, getting their attention. She didn't look up, keeping her gaze on her hands, which were clenched tightly in her lap.

"Um, I'm free after lunch tomorrow. My room is on the third floor, the north hall. We can go over some poultices or ointments...if you want. Maybe even some herb mixtures I have."

Edvin smiled brightly at her, "Thank you. I'll be there!"

Nel's response was an embarrassed blush as she turned back to her food, letting Gilan take over the conversation again.

* * *

**Professor: Just to re-clarify things, but I am changing the timeline to fit with my story here. I love the Heron Brotherband and went out of my way to include them in this story somehow. They probably won't play a major role, but, well, we never know. *shrugs* Hope you enjoyed this. Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

It had been three days since the first two delegations had arrived. Life in the castle had gotten much livelier, as expected. Most people were jittery, skittish, and it was understandable. Especially with a group of raiders in the surrounding area. However, visitors soon discovered that they were truly a very warm and friendly people. As a whole, the Skandians often spent time joking with their new friends or doing whatever they could to help prepare for the arrival of the next two delegations.

Gilan spent a lot of time bonding with the Heron crew, often joining in on their sparring sessions along with Horace, who had become fast friends with Stig. Will had also bonded with Hal, the Heron skirl and the two of them would talk long into the night about various ideas or plans that they had come up with in the past. The Mangler, the giant crossbow that Hal had fitted onto his ship, was a point of fascination for the apprentice Ranger, especially once he learned of the system he had developed to judge distances for the massive weapon.

Erak and Borsa spent most of their time around Duncan and Fausto. All of them were taking the time to 'test the waters' and see what everyone was going to expect from the peace talks. Everyone was apprehensive about the whole idea, but no one had outright stated their opinion yet. It seemed like everyone was waiting to hear from the other countries's leaders before commiting to the treaty, but there seemed to be no indication that it would fail just yet.

Nel, for her part, spent much of her time teaching Edvin or helping in the castle's hospital. As Duncan left the doors open for the use of the townspeople, there were always plenty of injuries that needed tending to.

The hospital wasn't really in the castle itself, but was close to it, on the edge of town. The king had relocated it there after Morgarath's most recent attempt on the throne and, over the past five years, it had proven to be a wise decision. The town's growing population saw that there was more than enough business for it.

The hospital, which sometimes seemed more like a clinic, was run by an older lady named Marion, who was one of the most well known healers in all of Araluen. Nel, having studied for three years with Malcolm, was a welcome addition to the staff there. The two story building, constantly filled with the scent of herbs and salves, had a welcoming atmosphere, but would easily become overrun with patients if there was any sort of emergency in town.

Edvin, as it turned out, was an eager student and had a knack for healing. He could become a great doctor one day, should he choose to pursue the career. He was constantly asking questions and taking notes. In his spare time, he studied Nel's books on medicine, which she was happy to let him borrow. She also encouraged him to volunteer in the hospital. After all, it was one thing to study how to apply medicine and another to actually do so.

She rarely saw her father or friends except at mealtimes. The last two delegations were due to arrive any moment, making the rest of the castle's occupants busier than ever. It was a little lonely at times, but with the world at war and Araluen on the brink of joining it, loneliness seemed a small price to pay for a chance at peace.

In one of the rare quiet moments she had, Nel sat in her room, perched at her window with her sketchbook in hand. The scene she was drawing, the knights on patrol up on the hill, was proving to be far more entertaining than what she was supposed to be working on.

The encyclopedia lay open on her desk, forgotten once she had looked out the window. She had started the encyclopedia a year ago, but only worked on it in her spare time. She was still in the 'A's, the notes about angelica root staring at her accusingly.

She was finding it very hard to care at the moment, so wrapped up in drawing the trees on the skyline.

Nel loved drawing. It was her release.

She knew that she wasn't the best artist, her animals never turned out right no matter what she did, but she was far from the worst. She drew constantly, so she had plenty of practice. Whenever she felt panicked, overwhelmed, or just had a hard time expressing herself with words, she would put pen or charcoal to paper and let her drawings do the rest. As soon as the picture was down, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She didn't have to explain anything. Her hands didn't shake. Her breathing didn't speed up. Her words didn't stutter. For one second, the world made sense.

It was a hobby that her father had encouraged and now she had multiple sketch books filled and sitting on her shelf.

After a few more minutes Nel studied her current picture before deeming the trees done for the moment. Her hand was covered in charcoal dust from all of the shading she had been doing, something that she had gotten used to over the years.

A knock on her door broke her away from her thoughts.

"Yes?"

Will poked his head in the room, "The officials from Nihon-Ja are here. Everyone's meeting at the front gate. Wanna come?"

Nel was silent for a long moment before eventually nodding. Quickly she put her things away and tied her hair back, wiping the charcoal off her hand on a rag before following Will down to the entrance hall.

She was actually very excited to meet the Emperor of Nihon-Ja. On the few occasions that she had seen Horace since arriving at Castle Araluen, he had done almost nothing except speak very highly of Emperor Shigeru. According to the young knight, the Emperor was a fair man, loved by his people and, more importantly, deserving of that love. Anyone who spent any amount of time talking to Horace about Nihon-Ja could see how genuinely he admired its leader.

The two of them reached the front gate minutes before the delegation arrived, everyone else already there. She sent a quick smile towards her father before turning to the gate. In moments the Nihon-Ja delegation was there, being led by Horace and Crowley. Horace was practically skipping, the joy radiating off his face at the reunion.

At the front of the group was a short man with dark hair, his robes clearly marking him as the Emperor. As soon as he saw the group at the front gate, he smiled warmly.

Crowley stepped forward, much like he had done for the Skandians, "May I present Shigeru, Emperor of Nihon-Ja, and his delegates."

Duncan walked forward, extending his hand, "Hello, and welcome to Araluen."

Shigeru looked at his hand in confusion for a moment, but reached for it tentatively, bowing as he did so.

"King Duncan. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Kurokuma has told me much."

Duncan bowed back, although not nearly as graceful, "All good things I hope."

"Of course!" Shigeru smiled again, glancing at Horace, "Kurokuma spoke nothing but praise about everyone."

"What's Kurokuma mean?" Will whispered to Gilan.

Shigeru heard him, turning to the Ranger with a mischievous look, "It's a term of great respect."

Horace rolled his eyes, "Translated, that means it's some sort of joke he still won't explain."

Most of the Nihon-Ja delegation began to laugh at the inside joke, inviting an amiable and relaxed atmosphere. Horace laughed himself, showing that he really didn't mind. Duncan took quick advantage of this, inviting everyone inside and introducing them along the way. Nel listened with light amusement as those from Nijon-Ja tried to say their names. They either became very deliberate with each syllable, like with Casssandra's name, or changed the name itself. Halt became Halto and Will became Wirru. Most didn't even attempt the Skandian's names, although she couldn't blame them for that. How exactly would they have even tried to say Svengal? Or Ingvar?

As soon as they were inside, Duncan sent for coffee and tea.

The groups began to mingle and Nel saw Duncan breath a sigh of relief. Another introduction had gone well. Nel felt pity for him. He was risking so much. If this treaty failed, all the blame would fall on Araluen and, by extension, him.

She turned back to the rest of the group, watching as they became acquainted. Horace was talking animatedly with many of the Nihon-Ja delegates, catching up with old friends. Will and Gilan were talking with a man named Shukin and, from the looks of things, had apparently discovered something wonderful. For a second, Nel wondered if she should worry about that. The last time they had looked so pleased was when they had successfully snuck some of Master Chubb's tarts away from his kitchen.

"Excuse me?" a voice cut through her thoughts.

She turned and came face to face with Shigeru. Immediately a blush rose to her cheeks, embarrassed to have not noticed the Emperor himself walking up to her. However, he seemed to realize her shock, raising a hand gently to calm her down, "I'm sorry. I did not mean to startle you."

"I-It's ok," she stammered out, bowing her head as Horace had said to do.

He bowed his in response, "May I ask your name?"

"Aranel. But, um, most everyone calls me Nel."

"Airaneh," he said, emphasizing the first part and skipping the L entirely, "It is nice to meet you."

"You as well." Shigeru had a wide smile and kind eyes. Nel found herself instantly liking him, being reminded of Malcolm.

The Emperor handed her a handkerchief, pointing slightly to her temple, "A mark, Airaneh-san."

The blush came right back and she hurried to wipe the area he pointed out, "Oh, thank you. I-I didn't realize. I, well I was-"

He smiled gently, waving away her concerns, "Do not worry. Everyone has done it before."

Nel sighed, relaxing a bit, "Thank you."

"Anytime. Tell me, were you drawing something?"

Her eyes widened, "Yes, I was. How could you tell?"

"You seem like an artist."

"Thank you, again."

"Are you part of the delegation here?" he asked, taking back the cloth when she offered it.

"Oh, no, I'm not," she muttered shyly, "I'm, I'm just a healer. My father is one of the advisors though."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "A doctor? So young? Remarkable."

"Thank you?" it was more of a question than actual gratitude. She didn't think 24 was that young for a doctor. Perhaps it was different in Nihon-Ja?

"I do not mean that as an insult Airaneh-san." Shigeru said, looking at her kindly, "I am impressed. Our doctors study for many years."

"Oh," she said quietly, "That makes more sense. I'm afraid I don't know much about healers in Nihon-Ja."

Shigeru smiled warmly at her, eyes lighting up in excitement, "Perhaps we could change that? We could use this as a chance to exchange more than just troops and agreements. Knowledge as well."

Nel's face adopted a similar expression, "That would be wonderful! I'm sure everyone else will agree!"

He laughed at her sudden enthusiasm, "I'll discuss it with the king then?"

Nel tried to hold her eager response in, but couldn't. Her mind was already racing at the possibility of new medical texts to read, "Please."

"Consider it done," he smiled affectionately, "Now, I do hope to see some of your artwork, if you wouldn't mind?"

Nel felt herself smiling back, "Um, maybe after the negotiations are over?"

"Of course." he bowed again, "I look forward to it Kujaku-san."

He strode away, entering into a conversation with Erak easily and leaving her in confusion.

"Kujaku?" she muttered to herself.

"A term of great respect." her father suddenly said.

Like with Gilan the other day, Nel jumped a little in shock at the Ranger's appearance, but wasn't terribly surprised by it, "At least, that's the only answer we seem to be getting."

"They are fond of nicknames, aren't they?"

He shrugged, "It's easier for them."

"Does that mean you have one?"

"Not yet."

Nel gave him a quick smile which he returned.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Oh, I was going to volunteer at the hospital and then work on salves with Edvin."

"Any chance you could reschedule?"

She looked at him curiously, "Why?"

"Can't I want to spend some time with my daughter without some sort of underhanded reason?" Halt huffed.

Nel smiled at him, "Isn't the last delegation arriving tomorrow?"

When Halt didn't respond, her smile widened before she asked, "What's going on dad?"

He sighed, dropping his voice to a whisper, "Look, the Arridi arrive tomorrow and the negotiations start the morning after."

"Yes? And?"

"I've been here three months already. I'd like a quick breath before we dive right into the next step." His voice took on an annoyed tone as he looked at her pointedly.

She pressed her lips together, giving him a concerned look, "And by break you mean…"

Halt glared at her, "Just taking a ride with my daughter! Honestly, even you don't trust me!"

Nel laughed quietly, "It's always good to double check."

"Whatever happened to just believing your parents?"

She gave him a rare smirk, "I got you as a dad."

Halt rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

A moment later, her smirk turned into an equally scarce sly smile and she whispered, "Uncle Crowley ordered you out of the castle tomorrow so you'd stop driving him insane with all your sarcastic comments, didn't he?"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Their ride ended up being cut short. As they went through the town, the two of them passed by the hospital, absolutely flooded with patients. Apparently there had been an accident at a blacksmith's, the roof caving in over the forge due to damage from the last storm that had never been repaired. Halt took one look at Nel's worried face, looking up at him as if asking for permission, before he waved her away, insisting that she go work. Nel barely registered him grabbing her horse and leading it back to the castle before she grabbed the nearest package of bandages and went to the first patient. It was hours before she made it back, but when she did, she could tell that the final delegation had arrived.

Nel gulped, suddenly nervous. In her haste at the hospital, she had completely forgotten that the officials from Arrida were due to arrive that day. This had been the first contact with Arrida since the incident sixteen years ago, shortly after Duncan became king. She knew that this was the meeting that everyone had been worried about. The one that could make or break their efforts.

She had, luckily, gotten back just in time for dinner. When she walked into the Banquet Hall, no one had started eating yet, but were all talking. Nel took the first seat available, which ended up being between Will and Lydia, the only female in the Skandian delegation. They hadn't talked much, but Nel had found that she was friendly, if blunt.

Sparing a glance down the table, Nel saw that the leaders of each country were seated together, genuine smiles on their faces as they conversed. She turned to Will, impatient to ask how the introductions had gone.

"You're late," Will whispered, unknowingly cutting her off, "You were supposed to be back in time to greet the Emrikir."

"I know, I'm sorry," she whispered back, looking at her plate guiltily, "The hospital was flooded with people."

"What do you mean?"

"The roof collapsed in a forge."

Will looked at her with a worried expression, "Is everyone ok?"

She nodded assuringly, "They will be. It wasn't anything serious, luckily. Just a lot of small injuries. I lost track of time."

"It's ok," Will sighed, seemingly untroubled now that he knew the reason behind her tardiness, "Halt just didn't give many details when he got back. Everyone was too preoccupied with the Arridi. It's actually kind of lucky that you weren't able to go for your ride. Everyone seems to be arriving early."

"Well, it kind of makes sense. It's an important meeting, for everyone."

He nodded his agreement.

"How did it go?" she asked, trying not to seem too eager. She was certain she was failing at that though.

Will reached for some bread before responding, "Really well. The Emrikir seems like a friendly man. He's spent more time joking with everyone than he has talking about anything else."

A roar of laughter from Erak down the table punctuated Will's statement, proving his point. Nel spared another glance, studying the Emrikir. He looked about average height, although he didn't look like he had a warrior's build at all. There was no tension in his body language though, and he seemed to be enjoying himself as Duncan began telling a story.

"That's good."

Will took a quick drink, "He even brought a bunch of his private stock of kafay beans as a gift."

"Kafay beans?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

He pointed to her cup, "Coffee. They used it for tonight's dinner. Try it."

Hesitantly, she did. And her mouth seemed to explode with the richest flavor she'd ever tasted.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself.

Lydia heard her, arching an eyebrow in amusement, "Isn't it? I'm half tempted to move to Arrida just so I can have this every day."

Nel smiled while Will laughed, "Me too."

"So, um, what else happened?" Nel asked.

Lydia shrugged, very nonchalant, "Not much. Atanyan, that's the Emrikir's name, has been interacting with everyone. But he hasn't brought up the treaty at all really."

Nel gave Will a nervous look, "Have any of the Arridi mentioned, well, what happened?"

"Only once," he said softly, "When they first arrived. He said that the past is the past. That we need to worry about the future before our countries no longer have one."

"That's...inspiring."

Will gave a grunt of agreement, studying the Emrikir.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

He was quiet a long moment before responding, his voice very thoughtful, "It just doesn't make sense. I get that the Temujai are a major threat, but after what happened? To just sweep it under the rug like that? They vowed to get revenge and have avoided all contact with Araluen for sixteen years. Now they're acting like it never happened. I just, I don't trust it. Something else is going on."

"Maybe they're just deciding that it is more important to deal with the Temujai first?" Nel suggested, although it sounded half-hearted even to herself.

"Hmmm," Will obviously wasn't convinced either.

"What exactly happened?" Lydia asked, "No one's told me yet."

"What's happened? You mean between Araluen and Arrida?" Will clarified.

She nodded, "All I know is that there's some bad blood between the two countries cause something happened years ago."

"Bit of a long story."

Lydia looked around the room where everyone had just started eating, before raising an eyebrow at him sarcastically, "I think we have time."

Will sighed, looked to see if anyone else was listening, and, after seeing that no one was, began to explain.

"About fifty years ago, Duncan's father, King Oswald, negotiated a treaty with Arrida. It was fairly simple, a trade agreement really. But they renegotiated it every five years, like all treaties."

"What happened then?" Lydia asked, taking a bite of her own food, "How did you all end up as enemies?"

"Morgarath." Nel whispered timidly, not looking up.

Lydia looked at Will in confusion, "Who?"

"Morgarath. He was the Baron of Gorlan fief. He wanted to be king and, twenty years ago, instigated a rebellion to try to take the throne. Almost worked, except Duncan, Crowley, and Halt were able to find a way to stop him and he was banished to the Mountains of Rain and Night."

"Cheerful place I'm assuming?" Lydia said grimly.

Will chuckled, "Perfect vacation spot."

"How lovely," she smirked, "But what does his rebellion have to do with the Arridi?"

"Well, during Morgarath's first rebellion-"

"First?"

"He tried again five years ago. Horace killed him. It's a separate story, about two books worth," Will explained quickly, brushing off her other questions, "But, during his first attempt, Oswald ended up dying. Duncan became king."

"That's horrible." her brows furrowed and she looked at the king sympathetically.

Nel and Will nodded their agreement before he continued, "It took a long time for Araluen to get back on it's feet after all that. Morgarath had done a lot of damage and it had ripple effects all across the country. But, not long after Duncan became king, it came time to renegotiate with Arrida. He was only twenty years old or so. The treaty had been in place thirty years at that point."

Lydia grimaced, "The negotiations didn't go well, did they?"

"They didn't go _at all._" Will said, "Duncan called off the treaty."

Her jaw dropped in amazement, "What? Why would he go and do a stupid thing like that?!"

"Shh," Will looked around again, but no one seemed to notice her outburst.

She had the good sense to look guilty.

"Sorry." she whispered.

"It's ok. To be fair, most everyone thought the same thing." he admitted quietly, "Almost everyone counseled him against breaking it off."

"So why did he?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie. Halt says that Duncan's inexperience was part of it. That's why Cassandra's been such a big part of these preparations. But the treaty and trade with Arrida had also become rather...stagnant. The king saw no point in keeping it around if it wasn't helping the country. Finally, the king was angry with Arrida. That was what had mostly fueled his decision."

"He was angry with them?" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What for?"

"What else?" Morgarath's invasion."

"But, that doesn't make any sense. They didn't have anything to do with the invasion."

"Exactly. They didn't have _anything_ to do with it." he said pointedly, "Duncan had sent for aid as the treaty stated that in times of war, each country would send troops to the other. But it never stipulated what to do in the case of a civil war. So they didn't send any help at all. Duncan wasn't happy about that and broke off the treaty because of it."

"That's just a simple misunderstanding though. It doesn't seem like either side did anything wrong except not think things through." Her tone implied that she thought it should have been obvious.

"That's right." Will agreed, "But the Arridi weren't thrilled that Duncan broke off a thirty year alliance."

"No one would be." Lydia huffed.

"Right. The Emrikir of that time claimed to never again enter into a treaty with Araluen again. And it gets worse. As they left Araluen after Duncan broke off the treaty, they were ambushed, right before boarding their boat. The Emrikir was killed."

The astonishment on Lydia's face grew.

Will shook his head, moving a few bites of food around his plate without eating any of it, "The Arridi blamed Duncan for his death, but no one knows who actually killed him. Some say bandits, some say assassins, some say Duncan made a Ranger do it. But it happened on Araluen soil, and they vowed revenge ever since. That's the last time we had any contact with the Arridi, until now."

Lydia looked at the Arridi around the table, the other two following her gaze. Unlike their Emrikir, they seemed tense, constantly scanning the room and it's occupants.

"Could it be a trick?" Lydia whispered, "That they aren't really here for the treaty?"

He shrugged, but his eyes still watched the Arridi cautiously, "We don't know. But it's a risk that Duncan is willing to take. I know he regrets his decision from the first time."

"He'd better," Lydia huffed, folding her arms and leaning them on the table, "I've been listening. This alliance needs the Arridi. We can't beat the Temujai without them. If Duncan's past mistakes screw this up, we're done for."

Once again, Nel and Will could only nod in agreement.

* * *

**Special thanks to North Peach for beta reading this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

Unlike the previous day, there was no friendliness in the room now. Each leader stood in the room with their most trusted advisors nearby.

Duncan, standing with his, took in the room, suddenly realizing the sheer gravity of what he had set in motion. He had set it all up, but it just now struck him as to exactly how_ real_ it all was. He glanced towards his daughter who was waiting expectantly at the edge of the room. Panic momentarily gripped him as he realized that one day she would be the one who would have to lead these meetings, provided the alliance worked. His ripple effects were just now sinking in as well; this was perhaps one of the most historic moments in Araluen history.

Everyone else was watching each other, wondering who would speak first.

Duncan took a deep breath, steadying himself, before breaking the silence.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to what I hope will be the first meeting of a very long friendship between countries. I have asked you all here so that we can discuss, and find a way to stop, the invasion of the Temujai. As we all know, they have been conquering countries faster than anyone thought possible. Countless people have lost their lives and their homes. The Temujai aren't going to stop until they conquer every country in our world. Until they have taken control of all our land."

"That's horrible, no one will deny that," Fausto spoke up quickly, "But how exactly do you plan on stopping them? Their army, I've seen it myself. It is massive."

"If we all band together, join our forces, our armies, into one, we'll have the numbers to rival them." Duncan said patiently. He knew that Fausto could be a nervous man, but could be swayed with enough logic. "In this room we have representatives from countries who all excel in a particular form of fighting. If we combine those skills, I believe that the Temujai will fall."

He took another deep breath before elaborating, "The Temujai are riders. Archers. Yes, they are decent with a sword, but THOSE are their real strengths."

Duncan held a hand out, pointing to each delegation as he named them, "The Skandians have the best navy the world has ever seen, not to mention that they have turned combat into an art form."

The Skandians smiled proudly at that, Erak puffing up his chest.

"Arrida had the best cavalry, beating the Temujai by leaps and bounds when it comes to fighting on horseback."

Atanyan smiled as well, giving a humble nod.

"Toscana has the fastest training method, not to mention the ability to turn any man into a capable foot solder. A defensive and strategic fighting technique no one has seen before."

Fausto shrugged, brushing away the looks of admiration he was receiving.

"The Senshi from Nihon-Ja are some of , if not the best, swordsmen there are. They start training at nine or ten years old, until it's second nature."

The Emperor bowed his head deeply, accepting the praise with a smile of his own.

Duncan gestured to himself and his advisors, "Araluen had the largest force of ready trained archers, not to mention a special force of Rangers, unique to our country. I see no reason that we shouldn't be able to join together and drive the Temujai back to the Eastern Steppes. We have a common enemy, one who would not hesitate to kill us. Our countries need us to unite to stop them."

Every person in that room was silent, looking around at everyone else, trying to judge their reactions.

The leaders of each country met each others' gaze and nodded.

Then the negotiations truly began.

* * *

It took weeks.

Every point was discussed. Every statement countered. Every possibility contended. Every nuance argued.

Barely anyone got any rest. There was always one more thing they had forgotten to debate. People would run in and out of the room, carrying messages back and forth to whoever wasn't there.

Not every advisor or leader would be focused on the same points. Crowley would be debating communication laws with Nihon-Ja while Halt and Pauline handled the trade agreement between Arrida and Toscana, all while Duncan was negotiating with Skandia about a deployment of archers in a third room.

Even though Halt was originally meant to be a background advisor for the king, he quickly became the 'go-to' man for battle plans against the Temujai. His history with them, which he tried to delicately skip over whenever it was brought up, was proving crucial during the peace talks. He may not have wanted to admit that he was a horse thief, but he knew the best ways to mount a defense against the riders. Duncan had never been more grateful for the old grizzled Ranger.

There were four major things that were covered in the negotiations.

The first was the Skandians' raiding. This subject took two weeks by itself to be debated and agreed upon. None of the other countries wanted to be raided at all. Erak was willing to agree to no more massed invasions, such as when they worked with Morgarath, but wouldn't budge on anything else, claiming that it was the only income for his country. He also pointed out that, even if he wanted to ban it, no self respecting skirl would obey and stop raiding. Hal, Svengal, and Thorn could only nod their agreement.

The Toscan Senate members turned around and claimed that this meant they couldn't trust the Skandians, that they shouldn't have to guard against their own allies.

Everybody had something to say about the matter, until no one was listening to anyone anymore and Gilan finally got frustrated and simply yelled out, "Then just pay them not to raid!"

The group took it as a very poor joke until Crowley threw his support behind the idea. After expanding on it, the debate turned into pay agreements for the wolfships to become a police force for most of the countries there. While raiding wouldn't technically be banned, Erak planned on keeping each ship so busy they wouldn't have time to think about it anymore.

The second point came from Shigeru. He explained that his own country was verging on civil war. He was trying to give more rights to the non-Senshi class, but it was proving to be a very difficult process. One that the Senshi weren't happy about. There had been two attempts on the Emperor's life since he had started fighting for the non-Senshi. Horace had foiled one of them on his visit to Nihon-Ja, which was part of why he had earned such a place of respect with Shigeru.

The Emperor explained that he wouldn't be able to commit any troops to fight the Temujai until the situation was resolved.

This took another few weeks to figure out as well.

If Shigeru sent any troops to fight, he'd be leaving his country vulnerable to those who opposed him. He was fairly certain that the attacks against him were all due to one Senshi in particular, named Arisaka. If they could find a way to stop him, Shigeru was certain that he could help his country. If Shigeru simply tried sending Arisaka and his supporters to fight the Temujai, then the traitor would use that as a platform to try to usurp Shigeru.

The other option was to contact the Hassanu, a group of people living in northern Nihon-Ja. Their leader, Lord Nimatsu, was loyal to Shigeru, but there had been very little contact between them as they were very introverted and didn't reach out to people very often.

It ended up being Will who solved the problem. When he was going over the whole situation with Horace and Halt one night, he voiced an idea that he had been toying around with. Together, the three of them were able to flesh it out a bit more before Halt presented it to the delegations.

Will's idea was to train the non-Senshi class to be warriors. Using the Toscan's training techniques, it should be able to work, that way Shigeru could prove that the non-Senshi class were worth just as much as the Senshi themselves while also defending his country when he sent troops to fight the Temujai. Arisaka wouldn't stand a chance, mainly since the non-Senshi class outnumbered his troops easily.

Halt also suggested that they find a way to contact Lord Nimatsu. It might take a while, but the warriors he could bring would be invaluable in the war.

The Toscan Senators agreed, deciding to send one of their most trusted generals to train them, on the condition that troops be sent to the Toscan border first.

Which led right into their third point of major debate. The battle plan against the Temujai.

Everyone agreed to strengthen the Toscan borders first. That would be one of their next targets, right after Gallica and Iberion. They also made plans to meet the Temujai in Gallica, try to stop them from taking the country in the first place.

Considering that the Toscans had brought news of the Temujai already being at the Gallican border, there wasn't a lot of hope of stopping them. Duncan had received word from King Henri of Gallica. While he hadn't been able to join the treaty, he had agreed to letting them wherever in the country they needed to go to try to stop the Temujai. Gallica wasn't the most well run country, but the threat of the Temujai has scared them into accepting outsiders' help.

Erak stated that with archers from Dunan and some ideas from Hal, they would be able to stop the Temujai at a pass in Skandia. It was the best, and usually the only, way into the country, other than by boat.

He did mention that there was another way into the country that they might try, even if it was a small chance. A small river with massive rapids that came from a mountain. Erak planned on sending the Heron brotherband to investigate as soon as they made it back home. Gilan quickly volunteered to join them. If the Temujai were attempting to invade there, he'd be able to get close to their camp, find out what he could.

It was also decided that Will and Horace would go to Nihon-Ja. There, they could help deal with Arisaka and contact the Hassanu.

Halt would go to Toscana and Gallica, leading the first attack against the Temujai as soon as they had enough troops.

Finally, after just over two straight months of debating and negotiating, it was done. It was the night before the treaty would be signed and their plan would be set in motion.

And that was when the fourth and final major point of the treaty demanded to have their attention.

Duncan, Erak, Fausto, Atanyan, and Shigeru were in their final meeting, ironing out the details and reading through a draft of the treaty that would be signed the following morning. It was mostly a formality, making sure they hadn't forgotten anything, but everyone wanted to be sure. This kind of alliance had never been attempted before, which made everyone determined to stop any possible mistakes or loopholes.

"Looks fine to me." Erak finally huffed, "I'll be happy to sign it tomorrow."

"I'm inclined to agree." Fausto said quietly, "I don't believe we've missed anything."

Shigeru nodded as well, eyes scanning over the last few paragraphs, "It does seem to be complete."

Duncan was about to voice his agreement when Atanyan spoke up.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same."

The others all looked at him in shock or confusion.

"What do you mean Emrikir?" Erak asked, "What did we forget?"

The Arridi leader sighed, putting the papers down and leaning back in his chair so he could look at them all, "I understand how this would look finished to all of you, but I cannot, in good conscience, sign this for Arrida. Not without asking how it is to be sealed."

"S-Sealed?!" Erak sputtered, "We're signing the blasted thing! Is our word not enough for you?! You couldn't have mentioned this in the last two months we've been here?!"

Atanyan held up a hand to silence the outraged Skandian.

"I trust your word Oberjarl," his gaze slid over to meet Duncan's, "It's his I'm suggesting we be wary of."

The king let out a soft groan to himself; it seemed like his past mistakes would indeed haunt him here.

The others had fallen silent, eyes widened with sudden understanding, watching the two rulers to see where this would go.

"Your Excellency, I swear, this will be nothing like our last treaty. Araluen is not going to break off from this. I'm personally responsible for the history between our countries and I would gladly do anything to repair that relationship."

Atanyan's eyebrows went up in mild surprise, "I'm glad to see you accept the blame. It took many years for my country to get over the death of our previous Emrikir."

"He was a great man." Duncan nodded in agreement.

"That he was." he whispered.

"Emrikir-san," Shigeru spoke up, using the man's title to address him as he had begun to do for almost everyone, "I also extend my regrets over the past. I know it must have been hard on your country. But, as you have said yourself, we have to look at what is best for our people now. What would make you agree to sign? What can we do?"

Atanyan's eyes never left Duncan's, "Did you mean what you said? That you would do anything to repair the bond between our countries?"

Duncan nodded immediately, "Of course. Anything within my power."

The other man was silent a long time, thinking over Duncan's words, before finally responding, "I want Araluen to agree to seal this treaty with more than just words on a page. With something so ironclad, so unbreakable, so _sacred_, that even Araluen wouldn't be able to back out of it."

No one spoke for a moment, trying to figure out what he was alluding to. Then, Duncan's eyes widened as it clicked into place.

"You want this alliance to be cemented through marriage."

The Emrikir nodded, silent.

Duncan turned to look at everyone in the room. Shigeru looked shocked that anyone would suggest such a thing, probably thinking of Cassandra and her young age. The Emperor had spent a lot of time around the princess while he was here and had grown quite fond of her. Fausto was glancing back and forth between the two men, waiting to see what would happen. Being fairly skittish, this look didn't surprise him. It was Erak that caught him off guard. Erak was glaring at the Emrikir as if he thought that looks alone would be enough to kill him. It was obvious that, if it were up to him, this would never happen and Duncan was fairly certain that he was just a few seconds away from yelling again, which might destabilize their new alliance.

It made sense when he thought about it though. Skandians had never practiced arranged marriages. It was mostly done in Arrida, Hibernia, and Gallica, with some exceptions in Celtica. The tradition had fallen out of practice years ago in Araluen, mostly because Duncan's grandfather had fallen for a young girl in the village and refused to be married off to anyone but her.

And yet, Duncan couldn't blame Atanyan. After what happened with the last treaty between their countries, he had every right to ask for this.

But, his little girl? His Cassie? Putting a foreigner on Araulen's throne, as Prince Consort? As the future King?

Looking up he saw that Atanyan was watching him with a very even expression, patiently waiting for his response. His face gave nothing else away.

Duncan took a deep breath, cutting Erak off before the Skandian could start his enraged screaming about the request, and then asked, "How much do you know about the Rangers?"

* * *

**Thank you to North-Peach for beta reading this chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

* * *

It was a beautiful summer day. The weather was perfect and sunny, a slight breeze blowing through the trees. To almost everyone else, it was a beautiful, perfect, almost cliche, summer day. The treaty had been signed. Araluen had four new allies and a plan against the Temujai. They finally had a chance to win the war.

And Nel couldn't register any of it. Her mind had gone into some sort of shock. It had stopped processing anything after hearing the news.

"_Atanyan insisted on sealing the treaty with more than just our signatures." Duncan was saying to the group he had gathered in the room. It wasn't that many people, just Nel, Halt, Crowley, Will, Gilan, and Pauline. _

_Pauline nodded understandingly, "Not unexpected given the history." _

She was curled up on her bed, clutching her blanket to her as tightly as she could, the conversation replaying itself in her mind again. She had stopped counting how many times she had recounted it in her head.

"_He's insisting on an arranged marriage between the countries." _

_Gilan took a sharp intake of breath, eyes widening in a panic. _

"_I'm...sorry," Crowley said softly, "That must've been a difficult decision." _

"_It was." _

"_How did Cassie take the news?" Gilan asked quickly. _

"_Gilan...Cassandra isn't engaged." _

"_What?"_

_Duncan shook his head, "I can't put an Arridi on the throne. It's too risky." _

"_So...you canceled the alliance? Duncan, we don't stand a chance without them!" Halt yelled. _

"_What were you thinking, making a choice like that without us?" Pauline asked in a rare moment of anger, "We've put in too much work over the last few months to just throw it away!" _

"_We're moving ahead with the alliance. We all signed the treaty early this morning." Duncan reassured them, holding up his hand to stop Crowley's upcoming question, "But Cassie isn't engaged." _

A tear slipped down her cheek. She'd been holding it back for too long.

"_Then how-"_

_Duncan cut Will off quickly, "I promised someone else to the Arridi."_

_Halt's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Who?"_

_The king's lips were pressed together in a thin line, obviously reluctant to tell him. _

"_Duncan," Halt said warningly. _

The tears were flowing freely down her face, shoulders shaking. She couldn't stop even if she wanted to. Vaguely, she heard a knock at the door, but couldn't bring herself to answer it.

"_Rangers hold a unique position in our country Halt. They answer only to Crowley and the Royal Family. They rank higher than Barons or noble families." _

"_Yes, and?"_

"_Cassie is the only female in the Royal Family right now. And Crowley doesn't have a wife, let alone a daughter." _

"_Where are you going with this?"_

The door opened, admitting Gilan and Will to her room. They took one look at Nel's sobbing form on the bed and wordlessly made their way over to her. The two Rangers pulled her into a hug between them, not knowing how else to comfort her. They all lay on the bed, simply waiting for the tears to stop.

"_I'm saying...that Nellie is technically the highest ranked woman in Araluen, second only to my daughter." _

_Pauline gasped, "Your Majesty, please tell me you didn't." _

_Duncan sighed and turned away from the group of people looking at him expectantly. His green eyes met Nel's blue ones, looking at her with a mix of pity, guilt, and apology, "Nellie, I've promised you to the Arridi. You're officially engaged to be married." _

Eventually the tears stopped. There were no more left that she could possibly cry. A hand entered her vision, holding a small piece of cloth. Gratefully, she took it and attempted to wipe the evidence of her hysterics off her face. She tried to give it back, but Gilan shook his head.

Slowly, Nel blinked and realized their position. The three of them were lying on her bed, curled up together. The front of Gilan's shirt seemed to be drenched in her tears while Will's fingers were red from her clutching them while she sobbed.

She wasn't embarrassed by their closeness, just at being seen crying. The two of them were practically her brothers and she knew they saw her as a sister.

She had never been more grateful to them than in that moment.

Desperately she tried to remember what had happened after Duncan told her that she was engaged. She thought she heard her father yell; there had definitely been an outburst of some kind.

The words were still ringing in her ears.

'_You're officially engaged to be married.' _

"Nellie?" Will's voice, full of concern, reached her ears. With a start, she realized that he had been calling her name for a few minutes.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Are you feeling better?"

Nel looked up at him. She could tell that he didn't know quite what he should say, that this was the best he had come up with. He looked so sad. It surprised her when she realized that the expression was for her.

"I...don't know." she said honestly, "I-I don't know. I don't really remember anything after the king said that...that I was-"

"It's ok." Gilan said, cutting her off gently, giving her a reassuring hug, "You're in shock. Anyone would be."

She nodded slowly, his words sinking in. It was strange. A moment ago she had been gripped with unimaginable, uncontrollable grief. Her puffy red eyes were proof. Now… she felt coolly detached. Was it possible to cry out such intense emotions? She didn't know.

"What happened? After, I mean."

"Well," Will sighed, "Halt basically exploded. Practically lunged at the king."

"Hmmm," Nel wasn't surprised at his actions, more at herself for apparently tuning it out.

"Crowley hurried you out of the room when Halt started cursing Duncan in every language he knew," Gilan continued, "He even started swearing by some Skandian gods. Apparently he's spent more time around Erak than we thought."

Nel felt her lips begin to twist up at his attempt at a joke. '_Only Gilan.' _she thought.

Will picked up the story again, "Crowley came to get help when you started crying. I don't think he's all that great with tears."

Ok, she really didn't remember that. Crowley was the best at silent movement, but she honestly couldn't remember him leading her to her room, let alone leaving it.

"He was trying to get Cassandra to come help you, but when he got back, she had been told everything, found her dad, and joined Halt in yelling at him."

"I don't think that I've ever seen Duncan look so shamed." Gilan muttered.

Will chuckled his agreement, "I'm sure after Lady Pauline gets a word in, Duncan won't be able to scratch his nose without consulting them about it first."

Gilan smiled, obviously pleased at the thought.

"I can't believe he would do this," Will huffed, "Already agreed and signed the treaty. All without talking to you. I thought Duncan was better than that."

"He didn't have a choice." Nel murmured, head resting on Gilan's shoulder again and reaching for Will's hand. He gave it to her without question, "You heard him. There is no other lady high ranking enough to satisfy a treaty like this. And he can't put an Arridi on the throne. I was his only option."

Both of them looked at her in confusion.

"Nel, are you defending him?"

She avoided their gazes, "I-I don't know. But I do understand him. He has to think of the whole country, the alliance...not just me."

"That doesn't make it right."

"I never said it did." her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

The two boys exchanged a glance. They had only seen Nel act like this once, during Morgarath's invasion. Halt had just brought Will and Cassandra back after rescuing them from the Skandians. Gilan had immediately begun apologizing to the young pair for leaving them and then Nel had walked up. She hadn't been acting like her normal shy, stammering self. Instead she was acting like she was now. Detached. Logical. A form of cool acceptance. Back then she had simply patched up Will's wounds, smeared a salve over a few burns he had from the bridge, looked both of them straight in the eye, and then left without a word.

None of Halt's lessons would ever sink in the way that Nellie's had that day.

This was the real world. Things happened. When they did, you patched them up and then moved on. You learned to deal with it.

And both of them hated that Nel had somehow fallen into that mindset again.

To Gilan, she was his little sister. They had known each other for over ten years, almost fifteen. After his father and Halt, she knew him the best. They had helped each other grow into the people they were today. And he wanted nothing more than the cheesiest, most cliche happy ending in the world for her, whatever that might be. Her lying in her room, having just spent the last hour sobbing and now logically accepting a future she didn't want; well that definitely wasn't it.

To Will, Nel had started off as a stranger. He had known her his whole life and been afraid of her for a good chunk of it. She had been the daughter of a Ranger. Like most people, he had believed that Rangers practiced dark, forbidden magic. That meant that she was obviously a witch. But, when he started his apprenticeship and got to know her, he had begun to see her in a new light. She was his first real friend outside of the Ward. She never judged him for his old dreams of being a knight or for not having a name. He saw how she continued to turn down Halt's offers of training her as a Ranger, insisting that she was a healer. That she would become a doctor. He had an admiration for her that was the same as anyone would have for an older sibling. There was a quiet determination to her that he knew she inherited from her father.

They were both torn that someone else had just yanked away the reins and stolen her life from her. They especially hated the fact that it was done by the very king they were sworn to serve.

But worst of all was her quiet, logical, acceptance of the situation. Their hearts broke when they heard her say, "I have to do it. I have to get married."

Neither of her adopted brothers could find a response.

All three of them lay in silence, simply holding each other for a long while.

That was how Halt found them when he barged into her room. He stopped short at the sight. He took in her red, tear stained eyes, the way she was curled up in their embrace, and realized what exactly had happened. Immediately he was kneeling by her bed, taking one of her hands.

"You don't have to do this. Say the word and I'll stop it. I'll get you out of here. We'll leave the country. Just say so."

Nel gave him a sad smile, "I wish we could."

"Then we'll leave tonight. Pack a bag." he made to stand up as if to do it for her, but stopped short when her grip tightened.

"We can't."

"And why, by Gorlog's beard, can't we?"

"The treaty, the Temujai...if I don't get married, it all falls apart."

Halt immediately shook his head, protesting the idea, "No, it won't. Duncan can find someone else."

"There isn't anyone else," she said, "You heard the king, he can't put an Arridi on the throne."

"Wait," Gilan shot up in the bed, eyes alight with an idea, "This is all because she's a Ranger's daughter, right? Well, I'm an actual Ranger! What if I take your spot? I'll get married instead!"

"Um...Gil, Nellie's fiance is a man." Will pointed out slowly, looking pointedly at Gilan to make sure he got the message, "You want to marry...a man."

Gilan rolled his eyes, "That's not what I meant, but thank you for misunderstanding. I'm sure there are plenty of Arridi noblewomen, I'll marry one of them. I'm a Ranger, so it should work."

"Gilan!" Halt and Will exclaimed at the same time.

"What?" he asked, looking at them in confusion.

"We aren't going to save Nellie from an arranged marriage by subjecting you to the same thing!" Will yelled at him.

"I'd be more than willing to do so!" he insisted.

"Look, if this is your way of skipping over courting someone because you are so abysmally horrible at it-"

"I am not horrible at it! I've been courting a girl for months now, but you wouldn't know that because you wouldn't know romance if it slapped you in the face!"

"Making up some girl to try to prove that you know how to court someone is not the same as actually doing so!"

"I'm not making her up!"

"Oh, so you'd be willing to break her heart when you get married to this nonexistent Arridi noblewoman?!"

"She'd understand! She's wonderful like that!"

"Would you both stop it?!" Halt yelled, "None of this solves our problem!"

"Oh, and what's your brilliant idea?" Gilan scoffed, "Right, fleeing the country! Life on the lam! This is Nellie, Halt! She deserves better than that!"

"It's brilliant compared to your plan!" Will shot back.

"Everyone wins in my plan!"

"Except you!"

"I don't matter!"

"Yes you do!"

"Are you two incapable of shutting up?!"

They both turned to Halt, yelling out, "YES!" before resuming their argument.

He sighed, raising his eyes skyward as if asking for mercy, then interrupted them again, "New plan!"

"What?!" they snapped, glaring at him.

Halt raised an eyebrow at them, which was enough to get them to calm down, looking rather sheepish. (They had somehow started arguing about who Gilan's best man was going to be. Halt decided he really didn't want to know.)

"You're right. Nellie deserves better than this. She is in this situation because she's my daughter and I decided to be a Ranger. So it's my fault. Which means I have to fix it."

"Dad-"

Halt cut her off quickly, not wanting to hear her protests. "I'm going to quit. Retire. No longer be a Ranger."

"What?!" Whereas the last outburst had been one of anger, this one was shock. Made even more prevalent by the fact that Nel had joined in.

"He can't marry off the daughter of a Ranger if I'm not a Ranger anymore," he explained, "No one has to get married against their will and we don't have to leave Araluen. All Rangers reserve the right to leave the Corps. Problem solved."

"B-But you wouldn't be a Ranger!" Will exclaimed.

Halt shrugged, "I wasn't always a Ranger to begin with. I can find a new job afterwards."

Nel was already shaking her head, "Dad, no, you can't."

"I can and I will."

"Being a Ranger is your life. I can't let you give that up."

"No." he said quickly and fiercely, shaking his head at her, "You are my life Nellie. Always have been and always will be. You are my daughter. I'm your father. Being a Ranger will never compare to that."

Tears pricked at her eyes at his words, surprising her. She didn't think she had anymore left. Her voice almost broke when she said, "You love being a Ranger."

"And what if I don't want to serve as a Ranger for a king who marries you off without even asking if you're willing?"

"Dad," she looked at him pleadingly, "Please, don't. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you did that."

"I won't forgive myself if you get married like this." His voice had dropped to a whisper and he clutched her hand as if afraid that she would disappear if he let go.

"It's the right thing to do. You know that."

Halt shook his head, refusing to acknowledge her point.

She sighed sadly, "Aren't you the one who says that we all have to make sacrifices for our country? To be able to protect those we care about?"

He didn't respond. Gilan and Will were watching her intently, waiting for her next words.

"I already told you. I can't fight. I can't strategize. I can't lead. I'm a stuttering mess during debates or confrontations. But this is something I _can _do. This is how I can help against the Temujai...maybe the only way I can."

Sadly, no one could say she was wrong.

"But this isn't what you want." he muttered, unable to meet her eyes.

"What I want is a world that isn't torn apart by war." Nel said, moving off the bed gently so she could kneel next to her father, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He responded immediately, holding her close.

"I'm sorry ceann ciúin. I'm so sorry."

Nel smiled at the pet name. It had been years since he called her that.

"It's ok dad. I don't mind getting married, it was just a shock. I...I just wish I knew who I was getting married to."

* * *

The sun beat down on the ground, not a cloud in the sky, adding to the already high temperature of the desert. The port town of Al Shabah was bustling with traders and merchants.

The Wakir sighed, gazing longingly out the window. He would much rather be out there, on a patrol or training with his guards, than in his office signing form after form. Sometimes, he really wondered why he thought it was a good idea to accept the position of Wakir.

He continued to work through the stack of paperwork for a few minutes until a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." he called, welcoming any distraction.

Aloom, his second-in-command, walked in, a letter in his hand.

"Wakir," he said, giving the typical Arridi greeting.

He returned the gesture before waving him forward, "What can I help you with?"

Aloom held out the letter, "We just received this via carrier pigeon, sir."

He took the letter, seeing the Emrikir's seal on it. Quickly, he opened it, reading through the contents.

"Aloom?"

"Yes Wakir?"

"Pack your bags. We're leaving for Araluen in the morning."

The soldier looked at him in confusion, "Araluen? What are we needed there for?"

"Apparently, I'm due to be married." Seley el'then said.

* * *

**Professor: Phew, over 3,000 words. My hands hate me because I did this all in one sitting. Anyway, sorry it has been so long since I updated. I don't own a computer and didn't have a chance to type this up at the library because of COVID. By the way, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. **

**Ceann ciúin is Irish for 'quiet one'. I thought it a fitting name for Halt to use for Nellie and as far as I know, Hibernia is based off of Ireland. Either way, I love it so I'm using it. I do use Google Translate for all the languages in this story, so if I get something wrong, I sincerely apologize. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've been waiting to get to this part since I started this story. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out soon. Please review! I love getting feedback! **


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